Alaska Trips for 2023
Does not appear that Tauck is planning on offering Inside Passage or Grand Alaska tours for 2023. Maybe having difficulties securing ships from what I heard. Disappointed. I LOVE Tauck, but I really want to visit Alaska in 2023. Looking for other options
0
Comments
Katrina, prior to the Pandemic, we had planned the Grand Alaska tour and waited and waited for the tour to post, we called Tauck and they said there could be difficulties securing the ships. so we booked another tour. Soon after the Alaska tours were posted, too late. We are booked to go on their Grand Alaska this July, fingers crossed.
I would not give up hope that 2023 tours will be posted but probably later in the year.
Not being a fan of cruises, I was planning to do Tauck's land=only Alaska tour several years ago. Unfortunately, they eliminated it the year before I had planned to go. I booked a land-pnly tour with another company and enjoyed it. It wasn't Tauck (thought they are known for their nicer busses, with significantly more leg room between rows of seats), but it was still a nice trip.
I’d not give up on Tauck yet either - but if you do book on your own and don’t go with Tauck- be sure and choose a ship and itinerary that includes Glacier Bay- it is a National Park & only a few cruise lines are allowed in- and a Park Ranger gets onboard and narrates for you. Princess cruises have done Alaska their longest- they also own lodges inside the Parks of Alaska, so if you do a cruise/land tour- they do a nice job. Holland America does a good job too. We love Celebrity, but they don’t have access to Glacier Bay. Many years ago- Tauck used Princess Cruise line - not sure if they still do.
On the higher end- I’d totally recommend Uncruise or National Geographic - both are fantastic
Never been on SilverSea - but I hear great things
Regent?
I honestly think a smaller ship is better for Alaska sightseeing. Just my opinion.
We are going to Alaska this July with Silversea. We travelled with them to Iceland last year and it was our first trip with them. They did an excellent job and the food was just delicious. They have many restaurants and bars to choose from. The excursions were outstanding and if I had to find fault with them it would be that they had a formal night and a lot of the men had tuxedos and the women with long gowns. It was over the top for me and I tend to dress up for dinner but not like this.
That sounds so, hmmmm, '50s, maybe(?) I remember when my mom and dad did cruise (with Tauck?) and he talked about shopping for a formal dinner jacket.
NOREEN - I will never understand the need for formal nights. When we travel, it is usually for 2 weeks minimal and to pack formal clothes is almost impossible for us. This is one reason that we love the Christmas Market River Cruises as they are always casual.
Uncruise and National Geographic used to not have formal nights either, but I'm not sure about now. Can you opt-out of SilverSeas formal night by choosing a different restaurant?? On MY vacation that I spend 1000s of $$$ on, I don't want to feel like I have to pack for formal and dress up.
Terrilynn, Amen. I don't mind looking presentable for a nice dinner with a pair of black pants and various tops/blouses, and nice shoes adorned with some high quality costume jewelry if need be and a nice scarf and I am all set. It's enough for me to have organized a trip, have someone take care of household needs and pack for my husband and have another wonderful vacation go without a glitch. I traveled to Iceland with Tauck last year and it was wonderful.
I’m with you Terrilynn
terrilynn - The formal night they have a show with dancing and singing in the big auditorium before dinner. I wore black pants and a silk blouse and my husband wore a jacket and even a tie which he absolutely hated wearing. The whole evening was over the top for us. However, you could eat in your cabin and there was one restaurant called the Grill that was casual. The formal night they have a special menu. We prefer travelling with Tauck overall and it is much more casual. Silversea has a more mature crowd and I feel eventually they will have to drop the formal night. We are self sufficient and on Silversea you have your own butler and again this is something we don't need but a lot of people love the extra pampering. However, overall Silversea does an excellent job and I think you would not be disappointed if you decide to travel with them.
Noreen - I'm curious what you mean when you say Silversea has a more 'mature' crowd. I don't think you can be referring to age, since the average age of a Tauck tour is pretty old. I'm not sure what adjective would best describe a group of people that prefer formal dress and formal functions over business casual attire (slightly less formal, but not safari clothes, cutoffs, etc.)
I believe Sliverseas has two category of ship tours, the other type is expedition and is less formal. All I can say is that the tour I just returned from was so liberating because there was no dressing up. I’m kinda dreading being judged for my clothing on our upcoming Tauck tour
Smiling Sam - On our Iceland tour we had people in wheelchairs on Silversea. I haven't seen this on any river cruises or land tours on Tauck. In general, this is just my observation that Silversea somehow attracts a much older clientele.
I've been happy to see that over the years Tauck river cruises have gotten less formal. On our last one in 2019 the crew was wearing collared golf type shirts during the day but dressed up a bit for dinner. Though less so than in prior years. People dressed up a bit for the welcome dinner, the dinner at a palace in Vienna, but certainly not tuxes or evening gowns.
For Switzerland, our TD gave us the "dress code" which was casual, smart casual = no sneakers or shorts, and smart elegant = no sneakers, shorts or jeans. I think only one hotel was considered smart elegant.
No doubt for some people the opportunity to really dress up is fun. If you have the body, income, need, etc for dress up clothes then you might look forward to it. There isn't really any opportunity to wear fancy dress in NM. Even the Santa Fe opera is mostly casual. Weddings and proms are about it so why would I want to waste money and packing space for clothes I have no real use for?
Smiling Sam - I really didn't answer your question regarding the formal attire on Silversea. I think it is because the suites on Silversea are rather expensive. They range in price from $8000 to $23,000 per person. Also, a lot of the people on the Iceland cruise were from Europe and they have a tendency to dress up more. This really is the only explanation that I can come up with. As you know living in Tucson we don't dress up very often.
Hello Katrina, we've been watching for Tauck's Alaska tour also for '23. We have been told they are still lining up itinerary and that they will offer the Grand Alaska, so we're sitting tight. Are you on a waitlist for info? If yes, they will call you when it is set.
I wanted to book this tour for 2022 but was dismayed when I saw that Tauck changed from Ponant to Silverseas. I haven't been on either ship, however. I just wanted a smaller ship, such as Ponant offers. Anyway, I think Tauck might be waiting to hear feedback on this change before deciding to stay with Silverseas. This is just my opinion.
Regarding formal attire--very much a relative term--I read that depending on the length of cruise and where the ship sails, there might be a formal night. I can't imagine wearing a sequined gown on an expedition cruise, nor would I. Dressing up is a personal choice. I happen to enjoy wearing a "cocktail" dress and always take one on Tauck tours. My go-to dress is a black crepe sheath with black or white chiffon embellishment on the sleeves. It does not wrinkle and weighs far less than dress pants and a top, which I do take as well.
I, too, wish to book a 2023 Inside Passage small ship cruise with Tauck and am waiting for the dates to be published.
Think I have decided to make a reservation with Regent Cruises for their Alaska Inside Passage tour . I really love Tauck, but these BIG trips require planning for me and summer 2023 will be here soon ( final payments due couple months prior). Hope I enjoy Regent as much as Tauck. Any advise welcome- wish me luck!
I'm torn between Tauck and Regent. I love both. 2023 Regent has Explorer in Alaska...beyond fabulous ship. . I would add Pre cruise Land tour but not sure would hold up to Tauck's land tour and Princess does Glazier Bay where Regent does not.. Price ends up being about the same. What to do??
We've never sailed on Regent, but I did look at pictures of the Explorer on line. it is a beautiful ship. We have done Alaska twice, both times with Princess including a land tour before sailing. Glacier Bay is incredible and for us, was the highlight of the time we were at sea. I've included two pictures. You have a hard decision, but imagine you will have a great trip either way.
In case you haven't noticed, the world's teetering on the brink...not to offend, but it's time to stop worrying about how to dress for dinner! I have never had a Tauck TD mention a dress code. Wear what you want, be that casual or dressy; who cares what others think? Maybe one day fuel shortages will mean carry-on-only (or no flights at all), so let's enjoy ourselves and travel in comfort while we can.
Well said!
Inside Alaska Cruise Tour July 2023 Anchorage to Vancouver
Hello all, My husband and I are confirmed on a July departure Alaska Inside Passage. This will be our 5th Tauck trip.
I am inquiring about previous statements concerning formal attire on the trip. Does anyone have any advise about this? We do not pack formal clothing. Do not object to dark slacks and dressy sweater or blouse, but not gowns. We sailed on the Iceland Tauck cruise/tour and saw no sign of a formal evening.
Thank you for any advise on this subject.
Susan
Susan - We just took this trip this past August. Nobody wore gowns or even cocktail dresses. Dark slacks and dressier tops are fine. The restaurant did require jackets for men. The first few days they handed them to the men that did not wear one. However, after that they seemed to ignore those "jacketless". We loved the SilverSea ship!
Prior to your arrival in Anchorage, I would suggest making dinner reservations. Otherwise, you probably will not get in the more famous eateries.
Thank you for taking the time to answer my question. Looking forward to returning to Alaska.
You will love this trip on the Silver Muse. I did the Inside Passage with Silversea last summer and had a great time. I would recommend visiting Vancouver at the end. The Silversea crowd is generally dressier than the Tauck crowd. This Alaska tour was probably the least formal of the multiple Silversea tours I have taken. Slacks and a dressy top for dining would be fine. On "formal" night some of the restaurants allow more casual attire. There will probably be only one or two "formal" nights. You can also have room service or go to The Grill or the pizza restaurant Spaccanapoli. I agree regarding a previous comment about the the older clientele on Silversea. They allow wheelchairs and there are older folks who either just cruise or hire private transportation for port tours.
We plan on taking the Tauck Alaska Passage cruise in 24, but I would like to know if anyone has gone a few days early, and gone to Denali. I can't imagine why Tauck doesn't have a side trip there prior/after the cruise.
blankb1 - Tauck isn't like some tour companies (eg. OATS) that offer 2-3 day pre or post tour add-ons. Anything pre or post tour needs to be arranged on your own.
Denali is ok unless you are hoping to see wildlife….in reality you might not see any!